Big Time Objection
by Loreli Liliana Evans
Summary: James' eyes met Katie's sparkling brown eyes. It was too late. The damage had been done. He was in love with her. That, however, was not the problem. The problem was that he had come to realize it a little too late.
1. Engaged?

"Katie? Are you really my little Katie bear?"

The woman sitting on the mansion sofa uncrossed her slender legs, jumping up in utter surprise. Her big, brown eyes with specks of gold widened slightly, her thick, long eyelashes fluttering as she blinked. Ever so slowly, the woman's eyes narrowed, scrunching up her eyebrows.

"I'm Katie Knight... Who are you?"

"Katie, it's me! Don't you remember?"

She tucked her long, mocha strands of hair behind her ears, fiddling nervously with her chandelier earring.

"Uhm, kind of."

Katie felt a pang of guilt as she watched the man in front of her. His face had significantly lost its glow, since his dazzling, blissful smile had completely disappeared from his face the moment her lips had murmured those words.

"Wait… is it…?" Katie's heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be. "James? Is that you?"

The man gave her one of his famous, heart-melting, lopsided smiles. "Welcome back, Katie!"

Katie squealed and wrapped her slender arms around James, embracing him with all of her strength. Her entire world became fuzzy and unstable as James' firm, muscular arms wrapped around her waist, hugging her back. Her heart began to flutter wildly as it had when she was a girl, each heartbeat echoing as she remained in James' arms. The glimmering ring on her left hand, however, reminded her that she was not a little girl anymore.

Katie slowly pushed James away, speaking in a soft, gentle voice. "James, I have to go."

"But you just got here!" James whined. "Come on, we have a lot to catch up on…"

The brunette smiled. "It's been years since I've seen you."

"It's only been four years, Kate."

The woman rolled her sparkling brown eyes and laughed. "So? A lot of things happen in four years. I've missed so many things! I even missed your birthday this year... By the way, how does it feel to be twenty seven?" She stuck her small, pink tongue out teasingly.

"I don't know. How does it feel to be twenty one, old lady?" James chuckled, ruffling Katie's hair.

"It's certainly different." She sighed, going back to the serious woman James encountered moments ago. "Which reminds me, where is Kendall?"

"That's a good question." The man frowned. "He's probably out with Jo, somewhere."

Katie rolled her big, brown eyes once more. "And mom?"

"Momma Knight? Out to get some groceries." James sat down on the sofa, patting the spot next to him. "What's the dealio, Katherine? I thought you were coming back in May. You're two months late!"

"Well, I was… But… something came up." Katie looked at her lap, not wanting to look into James' eyes.

"You look a little nervous. What is it…?"

James looked at her, contemplating all of the possibilities. Finally, his eyes became wide, and he let out a sound of what could only be described as absolute horror.

"OH MY CUDA! You're pregnant?"

"No!" Katie gasped, bewildered. "How could you even think that? That's completely absurd!"

"Oh. What is it then?"

Katie sighed and finally looked into James' eyes. To her dismay, her heart continued to beat abnormally, causing her to question her sanity. She never imagined, that after four years of distance, her heart could still falter at the sight of James Diamond.

"James…" She looked at the ring on her left hand, wondering if she could utter the words she had often thought would cause her immense bliss. At the moment, she only dreaded saying the words aloud. Perhaps she had not thought the process through as thoroughly as she believed.

She looked back up only to see a pale, horror-struck James. His eyes had followed her gaze, and had inevitably found the sparkling diamond ring on her left hand.

"You're engaged?"

James did not know why his heart felt as though it had been doused with ice cold water, but he was quite disturbed by his reaction.

This is Kendall's sister, getting married to some bloke I don't know and probably don't like. That's why I'm upset. James comforted himself, still a little worried by his quickening heart rate. Katie remained silent.

"Katie bear, you're engaged?" He whispered in his deep, melodious voice, sending shivers down Katie's spine.

"Yes. I'm getting married next December." Katie murmured, looking at the ring with a twinge of regret. Four years had not enough to forget James Diamond. How many more years would it take to get over her stupid crush?


	2. The Big News

"Yeah, Jo… I'm on my way to your house. Sheesh, woman. " Kendall chuckled, tiptoeing down the soft mansion stairs with his perfectly sleek dress shoes. "I'll pick you up in five, okay? Love you. Bye."

Kendall stuffed his iPhone deep into his tuxedo's pocket, slightly leaning onto the smooth gold embroidered railing with his other hand. On the last step, the man heard a rather strong, familiar sound of violins echoing in the living room. Halfway way towards the door, Kendall turned on his heels and marched towards the source.

"What on…earth?"

On the leather couch, Logan winced as he held a puffy-eyed Carlos in his arms, butter-lover's popcorn sticking out of his once-groomed hair. Next to the sobbing man was James in his spiffy black and white tuxedo as well. His stunningly blue eyes looked blankly at the movie displayed on the huge living room television, looking at it as though there were nothing there.

"Why d-d-did Rose h-have to let g-go?" Carlos wailed, wrapping his arms tightly around Logan's neck, cause the poor man's face to start to turn a light shade of crimson.

Kendall's lips twitched. "I thought you guys weren't going to watch Titanic again after the last little incident with Carlos, Logan." He half chuckled, trying to hide the amusement in his voice as best as he could.

"Not. My. Idea!" Logan wheezed.

"I t-tooooldd James I d-didn't want to w-watch it!"

"Uh, wait. You wanted to watch Titanic, James? I thought you hated it. " The blonde's raised his eyebrows further up his forehead, utterly puzzled.

"It seems to fit the occasion." James mumbled, grabbing a fistful of mouthwateringly calorific popcorn and shoving it into his mouth.

"Wait, what? Oh, whatever. I don't know what you guys are doing, lying around the couch watching Titanic. We're supposed to be going to dinner with Katie. She's going to throw a fit once she sees all of you covered with tears and butter … _Really classy_, guys."

Carlos sniffled, brushing away the few tears that were trickling down his face. "Kendall's right, g-guys. We need to go to that d-diner party. Katie s-said she had something r-really important to t-tell us."

"_Thank goodness_…" Logan breathed. Still clinging onto Logan for support, Carlos stood up and headed out the door, hiccupping and rambling about Rose and Jack. Kendall turned to James.

"What's with you? You're never this quiet."

James glared at him with his big blue eyes and snapped, "We should get going. Katie's waiting for us, remember?"

Kendall, taken aback, merely uttered "Okay?" and led James towards the entrance of the mansion, shutting the door briskly behind him before staring at James' slouching figure… and wondering what could've possibly gotten his best friend's knickers in a twist.

"Babe, are you ready?"

Katie looked up from the sparkling gem on her hand to look into her fiancé's piercing, icy blue eyes. She shuddered at the intensity of his gaze, her stomach tying in knots at the timbre of his voice.

"I don't know. Perhaps it is too soon. What will my mother think? You know how sensitive she is about the subject of marriage, at such a particularly young age-"

"_Shhh_… Breathe, Kate."

Katie sighed, rubbing her throbbing temples as her betrothed placed a hand on her naked skin and gently massaged her back.

"Did I tell you that I love this dress? Very, very… tempting." He whispered tenderly into her ear, only causing Katie to swat his face away.

"Do you _want _my mother to be angry about this? Or worse- Kendall? He will rip you apart once we notify him of our decision to marry!"

"How can he do that? You're twenty one. You can make your own decisions now." The man smirked. "Besides, I was only whispering in your ear…_ What is wrong about an innocent little whisper?_" He murmured into her ear again, making her giggle softly.

"_You're trying to seduce me. That's what is certainly and completely wrong_." Katie whispered in return, the hint of her smile lingering on the corners of her lips.

"Seduce you? I am absolutely outraged. If I were really trying to seduce you, I would do _this_."

The man gradually leaned in, brushing his lips teasingly against Katie's as she shivered under his touch. His lips pressed against her in an agonizingly slow pace, making the woman's hands finally twitch with impatience. In an impulse, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and opened her beautifully warm and moist mouth to him.

At that point, her fiancé's sturdy arms engulfed her as well, her chest pressing against the upper part of his lean, muscular abdomen. She moaned into his mouth as he plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, robbing her of all the oxygen she required to breathe properly.

And yet, Katie's grip loosened as the man traced his tongue inside the entirety of her mouth. As soon as she was about to get into the moment, the image of James appeared before her eyes, thrusting his tongue in her throat, letting his hands dance around her body, letting his hands linger on the zipper of her dress…

"_Mmph_!" Katie protested, pushing her beloved away. Her husband-to-be blinked at her, his lust filled eyes scanning her face with confusion.

"What?" He panted, trying to catch his breath.

"We c-can't do this." Katie gasped for air, pulling her loose strands of hair back.

"Why not?" He whimpered, leaning in to capture her lips once more. "We are engaged, after all…"

"_MMMMMMPH_!" The brunette protested once more, pressing her hand against her fiancé's eager lips. "Stop it. My family does not know that yet, and I do not want them to find out this way. For heaven's sake, we're in a public place. _Control yourself_."

"Just one more kiss?" His lips captured her plump ones with vigor, causing some of the other guests at the restaurant to peer over their elegant menus and ogle at the couple.

Their moist tongues continued to swirl around each other's, until-

"_KATHERINE ALEXA KNIGHT! WHY ON EARTH ARE YOU MAKING OUT WITH THIS MAN?"_

Katie jumped away from her fiancé, feeling the immense rush of color in her cheeks burn excruciatingly. Her brown eyes scanned her brother's face wildly, in a mixture of both fright and bewilderment. Behind him was Mrs. Knight, looking flabbergasted- yet endlessly entertained. Carlos and Logan held both of Kendall's arms tightly, as though the fate of the world rested in their hands. (In reality, much of her betrothed's life did rest in their hands… to his relief and dismay.) Jo merely cocked her head to the side, her eyes a bit wide-eyed. What shook Katie the most, however, was the man standing quietly besides the group.

James. His hands, clenched and shaking, rested at his sides- although anyone could tell he was more than willing to use his fists. His eyes, pure and baby blue, were filled the most ardent look of disgust she had ever witnessed. And his mouth- his soft, delectable mouth faded into a deep grimace.

Katie's heart throbbed agonizingly as she analyzed the situation. For some odd reason, she had the feeling the dinner party would not run as smoothly as planned, especially with James and Kendall. Looking back at James' hateful eyes, she wondered- for the millionth time that day- why on earth she had ever uttered "_yes_". But she knew, she knew, she _knew_… she had to stop. She was _his fiancée_ now, not James' girl. Time to face the cold, hard facts.

"Kendall, Mom. Carlos, Logan, James… I'd like you to meet my fiancé… _Tyler Duncan_."

* * *

><p><strong>From Loreli:<strong>

**Oh, dear. Katie is in a muddle. But, I promise there will be more action next chapter! **

**PS. Tyler Duncan is the chubby redhead from BTR, in case you didn't know! Since he is a man, I decided he probably looks more like Rupert Grint now. HAHA.**

**XxSmileyxD, thank you for being my first reviewer! I will definitely include the other couples, just not yet! They will, however, play a major part! Kendall and Jo are already a couple, as you can see. Carlos and Logan need a little push ;)**

**Daisy 54154, thank you. Sorry it took so long, I had lots to do!**

**FreakierThan Freaks, thank you! Don't worry about James. He is a man of action, is he not? :D**

**Pinkypie15, Haha thank you. I will try to incorporate humor and sweet romance in this as much as possible!**

**Thank you so much for reading! Please review if you like it! :D**


	3. Too Late

_Plunk._

A deep, ardent growl arose from the back of James' throat as he furiously tossed another rock into the fountain.

_Plunk._

"James?"

The man turned around to see his beautiful Katie looking at him with her big, brown doe eyes. Wrapping her thin, black shawl around her, the woman tiptoed quietly towards James.

"I thought I'd find you in the garden. Are you alright?"

"Absolutely peachy." He muttered under his breath.

Katie sighed, rubbing the smeared lipstick from the edges of her mouth as she spoke. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Tyler-"

"_I don't care_." James hissed.

"Listen- I know you don't. But I'm still sorry." Katie breathed. James had never been so cold to her before. What was wrong with him? "I just came to make sure that you were okay, and I-"

"You didn't have to check on me. In fact, you should go. Your fiancé is waiting for you."

"_But_-" Katie murmured, "I thought-"

"You already told everyone you were engaged. Do I have to be present for the actual dinner?"

"Of course you do! You are…like my brother." Katie whispered, forcing the word _brother_ out of her mouth through gritted teeth. "It is important for you to be there at one of the most important stages of my life. I couldn't possibly bear it if you were missing."

James ran his hand across his silky brunette hair, sighing in frustration. "I'm sorry. It's just… hard to see you grow up so quickly. I needed some air. Please understand, Kate. I'll be there as soon as I… feel better."

The woman scoffed. "Since when are you so sentimental?"

"Shut up." James chuckled weakly, giving Katie another one of his charming smiles.

Giving him a teasing smirk in return, Katie reluctantly laughed. "I'll see you inside the restaurant, then."

James nodded slowly, grabbing Katie's shoulder before she could turn around and leave.

"Hey Katie…Do you love him?"

Katie froze. "_What_?"

"Do you love him?" James repeated, wincing as though the words inflicted physical pain.

"Uhm…Of course I do. I've been with him for the past three years."

"Do you love him enough to spend the rest of your life with him?" James inhaled, frantically scanning Katie's face for any sign of hesitation.

"I'm marrying him."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"James, I wouldn't be marrying Tyler if I didn't care about him. _Duh_." Katie forced a laugh, although she was not truly convinced by her own response.

Trying to ignore the lump in his throat that emerged as Katie laughed, James forced a smile. "Good. I'm happy for you."'

The woman simply released a shaky sigh. "Thank you, James. Now stop being such a drama queen and get inside. We still haven't finished our dinner."

* * *

><p>"Oh, my little Katie is getting married!" Ms. Knight dabbed her eyes with her napkin, clutching hands with Jo as the blonde girl blinked back a few of her own tears. Ms. Knight still could not believe her eyes. She had honestly believed Jo and Kendall would be married, not her baby girl. She really could not help but to get all sentimental as soon as Katie had left to retrieve James. Kendall, on the other hand, was not as touchy-feely as his mother… or at least, not in "touchy" in the way Katie would have liked.<p>

"I swear, if you dare lay a finger on Katie like that EVER AGAIN, I will make sure you don't make it to the altar. If by some miracle you do make it to the altar, you can bet your sorry little butt I will personally make sure Katie won't ever have kids with you. _And I'm not talking about birth control_. Got it?" Kendall hissed at Tyler, who tried to inch away from Katie's livid brother.

"Katie!" Tyler eagerly greeted his fiancée as she entered the room, wiping away the few beads of sweat that had emerged from his nervousness.

Katie groaned as she walked in to see her brother clutching the knife on the table, looking menacingly into Tyler's eyes. James, however, smirked as he sat down next to Logan and Carlos,

"Kendall, please stop harassing my future husband. You're making him uncomfortable." She frowned as she approached her seat, taking Tyler's soft, warm hand. "Whether you like it or not, I'm getting married. And I'm pretty sure that is no way for a best man to behave, dear brother."

"Wait…Best man?"

James nearly choked on his bread roll.

"Oh, sorry. We forgot to mention that Katie and I decided who's going to be in our bridal party. You want to be my best man, Kendall?"

_Damn Tyler. _James thought as he swallowed the remains of his roll. Looking at Kendall's stupid expression, he knew he had lost him. _Traitor._

"Me? A best man?" Kendall's lips slowly turned up into a smile, beaming at the couple. "Yes! I'd love to."

"That's good news, then." Katie laughed. "Jo is the maid of honor."

Jo grinned at Kendall, kicking him lightly from beneath the table. Her blissful expression, however, vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Oh, Katie… I can't. I would never have time to help you with all of the preparations for the wedding."

James looked up from his plate, letting his fork fall with a loud _clink_. "We could help!" He bellowed, cause the whole table to turn and look at him.

"Uh… right, Carlos? Logan? Jo isn't busy all of the time. We could replace her whenever she needs to go to work."

Carlos squealed, "That's a great idea! Katie, we'd love to help you!"

"But Carlos…" Katie frowned. "I was going to ask you three to be the groomsmen."

Logan cleared his throat. "Well, that's even better. Now we have even more of an excuse to help you."

The woman's bright, lovable smile returned, making James press his hand against his stomach in attempt to stop the swarm of fluttering butterflies.

He knew it was helpless. He had only offered to help as another excuse to see Katie… but he had forgotten that he would be helping her with her _wedding_. As if the news itself was not painful enough. Why was James volunteering to harm himself further?

"Well, then. Now that the situation is settled, let us make a toast." Kendall announced, clutching a glass of sparkling wine. "To Katie and Tyler Duncan."

"_To Katie and Tyler Duncan!" _The others chorused, raising their glasses high in the air. Each pressed the glass against their lips, swallowing the liquid with great satisfaction.

The only exception was James, who merely sipped the wine. He could not utter those horrible words. Katie would never, ever, be Katie Duncan to him. If anything, she would be simply Katie.

Jo narrowed her eyes at James. However, he was looking at the newly engaged couple. _No, _Jo gasped inwardly. He was looking at the beautiful brunette as she laughed, slowly leaning down to press her lips softly against Tyler's mouth. James Diamond- for the first time in his life- looked completely and utterly… _Pained._ _Heartbroken. Jealous._

Jo's chocolate brown eyes widened.

James had finally fallen in love with Katie, after all of these years. But it was too late.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you weaselonfire, Daisy54254, Loganluvr and babyxgirl921 for your rev<strong>**iews! You guys are great. Please, feel free to tell me if you like or don't like something. I'm always willing to improve!**

**-Loreli**


	4. All Those Years

"James!"

The brunette continued to storm off as rain lightly sprinkled above his head, his hands shoved deep inside his pockets.

"James!"

He thrusted his hands deeper into his pockets, biting his soft, plump lips until a bead of blood emerged.

"James! _Wait_!"

James Diamond's body froze as he felt an icy, petite hand grip his wrist, keeping him in place.

"What do you want, Jo?"

"_You love her_." Jo gasped, panting as a few beads of rain trickled down her rosy face.

And the rain began to pour a little more, the light pitter patterof the water echoing in James' mind as Jo stared at him with her big brown eyes.

"I… I have no idea what you're talking about." The man cleared his throat, snatching his arm away from the dumbstruck blonde.

"James… you know exactly what I'm talking about!" Jo cried, her voice containing a hint of hysteria. "What I don't understand is _why_, James? Why now?"

"Jo, don't. Don't make this harder than it already is. _Please_, Jo."

The brunette began to walk off, despite the fact that the pitter patter of rain was not the only thing echoing in his mind anymore.

_You love her._

"Don't you dare walk off, James Diamond! Don't you dare do this to her!"

He continued to walk…the splashing of water as he trudged in the developing puddles, however, was no longer enough to drown out the sound of those words. _You love her._

"James!"

_Plunk. Plunk. Plunk._

"_James!"_

_Pitter patter. Pitter patter_.

"James!"

He couldn't take it anymore. "_What?"_ The brunette hissed, throwing his hands in the air. "What the hell do you want me to do? Huh? I'm walking away. I'm letting her be happy! _What more do you want from me?"_

Jo blinked, her brown eyes widening a bit more as James snarled at her. When he looked at her expectantly, she sighed. "James… why didn't you realize you were in love with her sooner?"

The man shook his head slowly, his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "I wasn't-"

But it was not true. He froze. He was in love with Katie all along. All those years of asking her if she wanted to double date with him… All those years of walking in the park with her with his arm wrapped around hers… All those years staring at her as though she were the only girl in the room… _All those years_…

Jo looked at the man in front of her with sad, sympathetic eyes. "Why now?"

He slowly exhaled, as the truth of it all flashed before his eyes. "Because, perhaps… we were never… meant to be…"

"After all those years of loving her… You're just letting her go?"

James hissed once more, "What else can I do?"

And the brunette began to walk away again, to be stopped one last time. "You can marry her, instead."

The man suppressed a bitter laugh. "And how the hell would I do that?"

"Convince her to run away with you. Make her see that you _are_ meant to be, James."

"I can't ruin her wedding."

"Can't you?" Jo raised her eyebrow questioningly. "It's not too late. You can't ruin a wedding if the wedding won't take place."

James stared at the blonde with disbelief. "Isn't she one of your best friends? Why are you doing this to her?"

"Oh, please. You say it as though I were committing murder." Jo grinned. "I'm only doing what's best for her. I know she won't be happy with Tyler. Not in the same way as she would be with you."

"And how do you know this?"

"I'm her best friend. I know everything." The blonde laughed. "Now…what are you going to do? Are you going to fight for her while you still can, or are you going to stand there and watch the love of your life get married to another man?"

James sighed. "Well, when you put it _that _way,,,"

"Yay!" The blonde squealed. "Okay. Listen closely. Tomorrow is- er, was- Katie and I's coffee date. We were going to discuss everything about the wedding tomorrow, and how we should start. I, however, am going to be sick tomorrow. Understand? You, on the other hand, are going to be healthy and giddy tomorrow. Giddy enough to help Katie plan her wedding."

"But-"

"_Shhhh_!" Jo hissed. "I'm not done. While you help Katie plan her wedding, you are going to win her over. I'll attend some of our little meetings, but I'll find excuses to have you fill in instead. I'll have Logan and Carlos back off too."

"So, I'm winning her over while I'm helping her plan her wedding to another man?"

"Exactly."

"This is so wrong…"

"But you'll just have to make it work! There is no other way."

"Fine. When and where?"

"Eight in the morning sharp, Starbucks. Call me after, and we'll go from there. This is your last chance. Don't screw this up, James. I'm risking my own butt for you."

With that, Jo gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and scurried back into the house a couple of blocks down.

And yet, James still couldn't get those damned words out of his mind… or out of his heart.

_I love her._

* * *

><p><em><strong>SO, what do you think? Please review, and thank you to those who have!<strong>_

_**-Loreli**_


	5. Falling Hard

"_UGHHHHH!"_

Katie huffed, her Prada Dégradé Paillette slingback sandals clicking away as she angrily marched towards her car.

"Already, everything is going wrong." The brunette hissed under her breath. "First day of planning a damn wedding, and these stupid heels-"

And the next thing she knew, she was knocked against the ground.

"_Hey_!" She squealed as she felt the man's arms wrap around her waist, lifting her up to hold her against his chest.

"Oh my gosh. Katie-bear, are you okay?"

James felt like slamming his head against a wall. Jo had warned him not to be late, and yet that is exactly what he did. Of course, it was not intentional… Somehow he had overslept; his mussed brunette hair and his tired looking eyes were proof of that. But to top it all off, was it really necessary for him to knock Katie off her feet? _Literally_?

"Katie?"

The woman blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. And yet, she her brain could not register the image of James, _her_ James, holding her in his arms ever so delicately.

"James?" She whispered, the sweet sound of her voice mumbling his name made James shudder.

Then they made the horrible mistake of looking into each other's eyes.

They were lost. Hopelessly, endlessly, completely…lost.

Katie could feel the warmth of James' chest under her fingertips while her body was temptingly pressed against his body, causing the innocent blush on her face to deepen. Her cheeks felt as though they were being pressed against the sun itself, turning a lovely shade of scarlet as Katie realized how close her face was to James.

"W-What are you doing here?" Katie mumbled, frozen in her place. While she had the urge to push James away, she couldn't. She was glued, hypnotized and utterly paralyzed by the man in front of her as his hazel eyes lingered on her glossed lips.

Katie's heart stopped. Perhaps she was exaggerating. There was no way on earth that James Diamond would be staring at his best friend's sister's lips in such a sensual manner. She must've imagined it!

"I…I'm here for Jo." James slowly replied, coming out of his daze. "She told me to come in her place since she… uh, kind of threw up."

"Well, why didn't she just call me? We could've simply rescheduled. You didn't have to come all the way down here just to tell me that Jo couldn't make it."

"Actually, Jo wanted me to help you get started on your wedding."

The brunette merely looked at James. This time, however, her eyes were wide and full of astonishment.

"You? Help me plan my wedding?" Katie laughed. "That's hilarious, James."

James, in turn, gasped, "How dare you think that I'm joking? I'm perfectly capable of helping you get started. You act as though planning a wedding is rocket science."

"Oh, please. It may not be the simplest task in the world, but it's not your average birthday party either. Do you have any idea how much effort I have to put into this wedding? There's a reason I'm getting married in a year, not next week!"

James sighed. "Fine, whatever. Either way, you should let me help. Come on, Katie. I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

"Well-"

"Best _guy_ friend?"

"Uhm…No."

James immediately released Katie, allowing the brunette to step away from him and breathe. "What do you mean no?"

Katie, on the other hand, grinned. Even after the brutal response, James' heart skipped a beat. (Or perhaps a couple of beats.)

"Kendall will always be my best guy friend, silly."

"Psh!" James rolled his eyes. "Brothers don't count. Doesn't that make me your best guy friend now?"

_Please don't say Tyler. Pllleeeaasseee don't say Tyler._ James prayed in his mind.

"You're an idiot." Katie grumbled, wobbling back into Starbucks. She was definitely feeling the impact of the fall now.

She was sure she had gained a couple of bruises, especially with such contact with the dirty, concrete floor. Considering she had heels, Katie considered herself lucky to not have broken any bones. (Or her expensive shoes. _Especially _her expensive shoes.)

So when James nearly collided with her again in an effort to catch up, Katie was ready to beat him up.

"If you make me fall again, I swear-"

"I'm sorry, Katie. But I needed to ask you…are we making the plans for your wedding then? Cause I brought a notepad and everything. Jo wrote down some ideas for the venue and such. She told me that you definitely have to tell her what day your wedding is though."

James smiled, hoping that Katie wouldn't see through his façade. If she didn't let him help her with her wedding, there would be no hope of making her fall in love with him. She _had_ to let him help her…

"Fine. The 22nd of June. A Saturday, of course. And hurry up. We have to get a table and a Mocha Cookie Crumble before you have to carry me in. My feet hurt."

"Yes, ma'am!" James winked, lifting Katie up in his arms bridal-style.

"_James_!" Katie shrieked. After realizing she was off the floor-and that her feet were no longer throbbing- the brunette started giggling. "Put me down, please."

"Absolutely not."

Katie sighed, wrapping her arms around James' neck for support. "You know, I was kidding earlier. You are definitely my best guy friend. Only my best guy friend would carry me to Starbucks, despite how ridiculous he probably looks at the moment."

James smiled at the girl in his arms, briefly forgetting that she was engaged. "And you, Katie, are mine."

The brunette laughed, "Your best guy friend?"

James stuck his tongue out. "No."

_No, Katherine. _James thought. _You are __**mine.**_

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long! I just lacked motivation. Thank you for all those nice reviews! You definitely inspired me to force myself to write a chapter.<strong>

**-Loreli**


	6. A Big Surprise

The next year was going to be a living hell for Katie. Not only did she have to plan a wedding, but she also had to plan a wedding with the ex-love of her life, James.

The incident at Starbucks was just the start of the 12-month-long hell. The "wedding planning appointment" was wonderful- but not because of the wedding itself. James- being the charmer that he was- flirted with her like crazy. It was typical James, of course. She could resist his charm, as usual. (At least on the outside. Inside, her heart was beating like mad.)

The appointment at Starbucks was bearable. The appointments that followed, however, were torture. She'd find herself slowly leaning closer toward him, "accidentally" letting their hands touch as they pointed out different options for the wedding together. She also found herself unintentionally staring at his lips on occasion, hoping James had not caught her looking before she had realized what she was doing.

She HAD to focus on the wedding. Tyler. Her future… Not her past.

Katie hastily scribbled down another name of a potential guest for the wedding, chewing down on her pen as she stressed.

Yes…she knew James, Logan and Carlos had volunteered to help with the bridesmaid duties. But to be honest, Katie had expected to see more of Logan and Carlos. So far, most of the planning had been with James. Actually, all of the planning had been with James in the past month.

Katie had definitely expected to see more of the maid of honor. But every time Katie called Jo to discuss the wedding, Jo would come up with an excuse.

"Hey, Jo. When do you have time to discuss the wedding this week?"

Katie could hear the faint, shaky breath Jo took before replying, "I can't this week. Busy, busy, busy! I'll get James to fill in. Gotta go, love ya!"

And then Jo promptly hung up on Katie. Again.

Katie nearly flung her iPhone against the wall. She still had a lot to do, even though it was the first-almost second- month of planning. She did not want a big wedding, but her fiancé had too many friends and family members.

After arguing for what seemed an eternity, Tyler and Katie finally reached an agreement; the bridal party would be a small, intimate group of friends. The guest list itself, however, was going to be endless.

Since it was going to be a big wedding after all, she needed the support and comfort from her bridesmaid. Instead, she was getting it from a man she used to love.

Katie bit down on her pen harder as she thought of James. Even the mere thought of him made the butterflies in her stomach flutter wildly. And yet, her heart melted, painfully…slowly… She couldn't stand it. She couldn't work with James anymore. She didn't want to fall in love with him again. But how could she tell him that? How could she possibly tell him that he had to leave her alone, without hurting his feelings? How could she tell him without explaining that the reason she had to get away from him…was because she couldn't stop thinking about him?

* * *

><p>"James, you better be flirting your butt off. I am doing this for you. Do you know how hard it is to turn down an appointment to go to a tasting with a caterer? I can tell you right now, there is no way in hell I'm turning down the cake tasting."<p>

James bit his lip in effort to suppress a chuckle. "Look, I appreciate everything you're doing for me right now. But I'm not sure this is going to work."

"You better be kidding."

"I'm not. Look, Katie seems really happy planning all of her wedding stuff. That…and she has been ignoring every attempt I've made at flirting with her. As much as I love her, I don't want to ruin her wedding. I-"

"Having second thoughts, are we? Tsk, tsk." Jo laughed. "You have to give her time. It's only been a month. You still have at least eleven months to convince her to marry you instead."

"But what about all the effort she's putting into this wedding? And all the money everyone is going to be spending? The wedding, the dresses, the food, the gifts…What's going to happen to all that? What about Tyler? What about-"

"Why are you freaking out so much?" Jo teased. "There is a reason I'm helping you. I have a very, VERY strong feeling that Katie doesn't want to get married. At least not to Tyler. You have to trust me."

James looked at the notepad on his lap. On it was a bunch of scribbles and notes, doodles and ideas. On it was the beginning of a wedding; list of possible themes, flower decorations, bridesmaids, groomsmen, dates…

"I don't know. I don't want to hurt her, Jo."

There was a pause. James had even thought that Jo had left him talking to himself. After a moment, however, Jo slowly whispered, "I don't want to either."

Jo was no longer teasing or lighthearted, but was now solemn. "I don't want her to marry the wrong man. I know she doesn't love him."

"And what makes you think she loves me?" James retorted.

"Don't be stupid. I _know_ she loves you."

* * *

><p>Logan winced as Camille nearly cut the circulation to his hand. Her grip suddenly became tight and like iron; Logan merely wished she would loosen her grip enough so his hand wouldn't become numb.<p>

"No way. No way! Nooooo waaaaay!" Camille gushed, holding Logan's hand even tighter.

"Holy-!" Logan's eyes bulged as his hand started to match the color of the movie theater's bright red carpet.

Logan would have rather been inside the movie theater, making out with his girlfriend, instead of out in the hallway. His plans were ruined, however, by a mysterious phone call. (Hence why he was now outside of the theater, in pain.)

"Camille, baby, can you-"

_SLAP_!

"_Mother of_-!"

"Shut up, Logan. Can't you see I'm on the phone? You're so rude!" Camille scolded before returning to her conversation on the phone.

"You didn't have to slap me..." Logan whimpered.

"No way. Nuh uh. When? Tomorrow? Already?" Camille gasped, grabbing Logan's hand again.

"What? No, Camille-"

"Hey, can you hold on a second?" Camille murmured to the mysterious speaker,, only to grab the neck of Logan's shirt forcefully and pin him against the wall. "You are going to let me hold your hand while I talk to my friend. This is important. Got it?"

Logan nodded speechlessly, smiling nervously at his girlfriend while he did so.

"Good." Camille attacked his lips promptly after his reply, making sure to leave him weak with her breathtaking kiss. As soon as she was done, she released the neck of his shirt.

Logan, still weak from the kiss, fell to the floor with a _thump_.

"Sorry about that, Lucy." Camille smiled as she talked to the phone again. "I can't believe you're coming here for the wedding, especially this soon! Why?"

After listening to her friend's response, Camille gasped. "Katie called you to help her? I thought Jo was-"

Camille's eyes widened. Lucy, Kendall, and Jo…

"Lucy, are you sure it's a good idea for you to come up here? You know why you left in the first place. Are you sure you can handle being around him again?"

"I'll be fine." Lucy murmured. "Kendall won't break my heart again."

Camille bit her lip. "If you're sure… But Jo…"

"Jo will have to deal with me. I'm one of the bridesmaids too. I have as much right to be at Katie's wedding as she does."

Camille sighed. "Okay. Well, I should go. Logan kinda fainted right now. I'll see you tomorrow. AAAAAHHHHH! I can't wait! BYE! "

The brunette tucked her phone away in her purse and frowned. As much as she was excited to see Lucy, she knew the wedding was in trouble if Jo, Kendall and Lucy were all in the bridal party.

"Uhm…Logan… Baby…?"Camille slowly kneeled down beside her fainted boyfriend, lightly slapping his cheeks to wake him up.

As Logan lay motionless (yet breathing) on the floor, Camille sighed once more. Kendall and Jo were up for a surprise.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it's been so long. And I'm sorry if this chapter sucked. I'm trying to get back into writing again, so hopefully this was good enough! I hope I didn't disappoint too much.<strong>

**-Loreli**

**P.S Thank you for the kind reviews! I love them all and you all helped me get my butt back to work/writing. **


	7. Replaced

Camille huffed impatiently as Logan took a seat next to her, followed by an exhausted Katie.

"Of course they would delay her flight. Figures!" Camille muttered grumpily.

The three friends had been waiting for their beloved Lucy to arrive for a good two hours now, only to find out that the flight had been delayed. They were all tired, frustrated and downright impatient. Each one had a reason to be easily stressed; For Logan, it was taking the test for medical school. For Camille, it was the movie she was offered to star in. And for Katie…well…

"Oh, Cami, calm down-"

"_CALM DOWN_?!" Camille gasped. Of course, that was before she dramatically stood and slapped Logan across the face. Needless to say, more than a handful of bystanders were staring at her with either amused or terrified faces. "_I am missing crucial beauty sleep in order to wait for my friend, only for her flight to be late_!" She hissed. "_And I told you not to calm me Cami_!"

"_Cami_…" Katie whispered irritably. "Sit down. She'll be here soon enough."

Logan, who had had his fair share of slaps for the day, cringed as the brunette gingerly sat down in her seat, muttering under her breath.

"Oh, so she can call you Cami and I can't?" Logan whined, rubbing his red, throbbing cheek.

Katie, who was as exhausted as Camille, narrowed her eyes at the boy and gave him a look that said, 'Really, Logan?'

Needless to say, Logan shut his mouth for the rest of the night.

Katie sighed, rubbing her temples as she tried to remember the last time she saw Lucy in person.

The story with their beloved friend was a weird one indeed. Katie definitely did not expect to be waiting for Lucy at the airport one day, much less to have her as a bridesmaid of her wedding. At least… not after Lucy's situation with Kendall.

Lucy Stone had, in fact, stayed in touch with everyone _but_ Kendall. After Kendall had picked Jo, Lucy was devastated and left the Palmwoods soon after. And ever since, she had traveled from state to state, desperate to forget the man she had started to love.

However, Lucy's heart ached at the thought of not only cutting Kendall out of her life, but everyone else as well. To her, the boys were like her family. (And Katie and Camille, of course)

So…Lucy sent letters. Every so often, she would visit Katie in New York too. Katie had to admit that- at first- her relationship with Lucy Stone was very awkward. And how could it not be? She was the sister of the man who had broken Lucy's heart.

But after years and years of sending letters, revealing secrets and exchanging advice, it was hard not to consider Lucy as a sister. Of course, that was the reason she had invited Lucy to be one of the bridesmaids.

Katie let out another sigh. If only Jo and Lucy would get along, somehow. Katie bit her lower lip softly, chewing on it slightly as she thought.

Jo and Kendall did not know about Lucy. Yet. But what would happen once they did?

* * *

><p>"Have you seen Katie yet?" James asked once again, the deep timbre of his voice cracking a little as he stared desperately at Kendall.<p>

"For the millionth time today, no."

"She was supposed to call me to let me know when we were going to have the huge engagement party. And we were supposed to narrow down the wedding themes!" The brunette growled, looking dangerously close to pulling his beautiful hair out. "She's been avoiding me for the past week and we still have so much to do!"

Kendall raised his eyebrows. "Well, last I checked… you weren't the maid of honor. What gives? Jo hasn't done a single thing for the wedding. And yet you're always the person she calls to fill in for her."

After looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, Kendall hissed, "And I KNOW she's not sick as she says she is. So you're going to explain to me right now what the heck is going on."

James' eyes widened. _Oh, no. No, no, no! _Jo really needed to be careful if she wanted the plan to go through. If Kendall suspected of them, there would be no way in hell he would let them anywhere near Katie.

So, of course, telling the truth to Kendall was out of the question. James really didn't feel like being beat into a bloody pulp today.

"Okay…You caught me." James sighed. "I asked Jo to let me help her with her maid of honor duties."

Well, at least that wasn't a lie.

"I…I wanted to feel close to Katie."

Again, not a lie.

"I haven't seen her in four years, Kendall. I just wanted to spend more time with her, especially since I know that I won't see her much after her wedding. Maybe she'll see Jo a lot, but me? She won't want to see me as much."

That was only true assuming she was getting married to Tyler… Hmm. James was better at "telling the truth" than he thought he was.

Kendall stared at the brunette suspiciously. "Why wouldn't she want to see you? You're pretty much as related to her as I am. You know she would still consider you her brother."

Ouch. Her brother? Just the thought of forcing himself to act brotherly around Katie, especially with the Tyler twat all over her, made James almost cringe. Or throw up. One of the two.

"I-"

_Rinnnngg! Rinnnnggg!_

Phew. Saved by…James checked his caller ID. Saved by Katie!

"Hello? Katie Knight! Where on earth are you? Do you know how much planning we still need to do?!"

Katie rolled her eyes. "I'm at the airport. I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that I'm picking Lucy up from the airport."

James had completely forgotten about Lucy! He'd even seen the bridesmaid list…How could he forget? James felt incredibly stupid as he blurted out, "Lucy?!"

At the mention of the girl's name, Kendall flushed. Was he hearing right? Did James just say Lucy?

"Yeah, you know, Lucy, my bridesmaid? Sheesh James! Where have you been the last month?"

"I…I didn't think she'd be coming so early."

"She offered to help me with the wedding preparations since Jo is always either busy or feeling ill."

_Crap, crap, crap_! James scowled. How was he going to get around this one? "You're replacing me, Katie-Bear?"

Katie bit her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt James' feelings, but she HAD to get rid of him. It wasn't healthy to think about a man she wasn't married too so much. "I didn't want to bother you. I know you're a busy man and I don't want you to have to worry about wedding preparations for a wedding that isn't even yours."

_Yeah, thanks for rubbing it in._ James thought.

"You know it's not a problem for me, Katie. I'm a little hurt that you want to get rid of me."

Katie sighed. "Don't take it personally. No offense, but I think I need more of a woman's opinion, even though I think you have wonderful tastes in wedding themes." She laughed lightly, hoping to lighten the mood. "I'll talk to you later, James. Lucy should be arriving soon. Bye!"

Before James could say anything else, Katie hung up.

Kendall looked extremely…sick? James wasn't sure what the best adjective to describe Kendall's face was, but sick came pretty close.

James didn't blame Kendall though. Heck, James felt quite sick too after being told that he was going to be replaced.

He HAD to tell Jo. Lucy was an obstacle, and they needed to figure out what to do with her.

Either Lucy would help them, or she would make it impossible for James to win Katie's heart.

Hopefully the former would be true.

* * *

><p><strong>Forgive me for taking so long in updating! Thank you to those who have read and reviewed! Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! I will try to update sooner next time! Hopefully before Christmas! Happy Holidays! (Just in case I don't update before then!)<strong>

**-Loreli  
><strong>


	8. A New Plan

Twirling her red and black hair around her finger, Lucy Stone peered up from her long eyelashes and looked into James Diamond's eyes. "You expect me to let you keep all the bridesmaids duties, just like that? What's in it for me?"

James scowled, crossing his arms stubbornly in front of his chest. "I'm sure I can think of something. Name it, and it's yours."

Although James had been hesitant at first, Jo had insisted that he informed Lucy of his plans to win Katie back. To say that he was nervous was an understatement. What if Lucy told Katie? He had to win Lucy over, somehow…

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Even your entire Cuda hair product collection?"

James bit his lip. HARD. His lower lip began to bleed a little as he mumbled, "Sure. Whatever you want."

The woman, on the other hand, began to laugh. In fact, Lucy laughed so hard, several tears ran down her cheeks as she cackled and gasped for air.

"You're not serious! You love those products more than yourself!" She said in between her giggles and snorts.

Eventually, the girl calmed down enough to straight into James' eyes. "Now, you listen to me and you listen well. I want to know exactly why you want to do this, and you better not lie to me, Diamond. If you do, you can forget even being near Katie for the whole wedding process."

James gulped. "I can't tell you until she gets here."

"Who?"

The man hesitated. "Uhm… Jo is coming over in a little bit."

"JO?!" Lucy screeched loudly, nearly causing James' ears to bleed. "WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU BRING THAT-"

James covered Lucy's mouth as quickly as he could, "Shut up! Just hear her out, okay?"

Lucy licked and slobbered all over James' hand, causing the man to shriek. "You're insane if you think I'm going to be in the same room as her."

"Oh, please. Stop being such a drama queen, Lucy."

Lucy hissed at the blonde woman who had shown up the door," No one asked for your opinion, Taylor."

Jo sighed. "Look. I don't want to be near you just as much as you don't want to be near me. But this is important and you have to listen to both me and James."

To James' surprise, Lucy's eyes began to fill up with tears. "No, _you_ listen to _me_, Jo. Do you know how hard it was to see you with Kendall? Do you know how hard it was all these years to see you in the magazines and on TV?"

Jo paled. "You can't possibly tell me that you're still in love with him."

The woman gave a half-laugh, half-sob. "Of course not... Or at least I didn't think so. It still hurts, either way."

Jo sat down next to Lucy, giving her an awkward pat on the back. "It wasn't easy for me either, you know. I'm sorry… He could've easily left me instead, you know. If he had to think about it for so long, it was because you were fierce competition."

Lucy gave her a weak smile. "Thanks."

James shook his head, astonished. He would never, ever understand women.

"Uhm, what was it you and James wanted to talk to me about? Well, besides me not helping Katie."

Jo gave James a look, and he suddenly reddened.

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Just tell me." Lucy snapped, back to her old self.

"Well…" Jo glanced at James again. "At first we wanted you to give up your duties as maid of honor number 2…."

"But..?" Lucy raised her eyebrows.

"But now, I have a better idea."

"Wait…what? You didn't tell me about this!" James gasped.

"Shush! Lucy, would you please date James?"

"WHAT?!" The two exclaimed, and with a loud thud, James fell to the ground.

"This wasn't part of the plan!"

"Oh, don't get your panties in a knot. James, first explain to Lucy why you wanted her to let go of her maid of honor duties."

"But-"

"Now!" Jo scolded.

"I…"

Lucy looked at the blushing man expectantly, while he looked at the wooden floor. "I love Katie."

The woman's mouth flew wide open. "Are…you freaking kidding me James Diamond?!"

Now it was James' turn to look surprised.

"Katie loved you! All these years she loved you, and NOW you decide to love her? Now that she has a fiancé? You are crazy. Absolutely crazy. And not to mention stupid-"

"I already yelled at him about it." Jo smiled. "Now, I already gave up my maid of honor duties in order to get him to spend more time with Katie. Also, that plan is not working."

"Is too-"

"Let me rephrase that, James. It is not working fast enough." The blonde frowned. "So, we need your help, Lucy."

Lucy looked at her suspiciously at first, and then suddenly had a devious smile on her face. "You want to make her jealous!"

"Exactly!" Jo grinned back. "So you will be attending most of the appointments with Katie. Only, instead of going alone, you will be going with James. If that doesn't get to Katie, I don't know what will."

"B-but-"

"Do you have any better ideas, Diamond?" Lucy leaned towards James. She was so close, in fact, that he could feel her breath on his neck. "Or should I say…_sweetheart_?"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, I'm trying to get back into the groove of things, guys! Was this good? Bad? Let me know! Thank you all for your support! :)<br>**


End file.
